


Skyfall

by stranger_thanfiction



Series: Stranger Things 30 Day Challenge [15]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, I JUST WANT THEM TO GO TO ENZOS, IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK SUFFERS, Jopper, Season 3 Finale, hop dies, joyce basically makes the toughest decision of her life for her children and im still in my bag, tw death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 14:10:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20065321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stranger_thanfiction/pseuds/stranger_thanfiction
Summary: Joyce is paralyzed with fear as she watches Jim fight the Russian attacker.The man who killed Alexei, who’s going to kill Jim.





	Skyfall

**Author's Note:**

> Today's prompt is Edge of My Seat, and honestly nothing had me more on edge than the climax of the Battle of Starcourt. Between Hop and Billy, I was and still am a shaking, sobbing mess when I watch the episode. Resultingly, I had to write two different short character studies of their deaths, one from Max and one from Joyce, two people that loved these heroes the most in their own ways.  
(Is Hop the American? My sources say yes, but ya know we never saw him fall/disintegrate/die so who knows?)  
As always, comments and kudos are better than coffee as writing fuel, and you can always yell at me on my tumblr @modernfeminismtalking. Enjoy!

Joyce is paralyzed with fear as she watches Jim fight the Russian attacker.

The man who killed Alexei, who’s going to kill Jim. 

She can’t turn the keys without another person. She debates calling Murray but stops, rationalizing that he’d never get here in time. 

Her radio squeals, and Dustin’s voice comes through the radio. 

_ “Turn it off now!”  _

Joyce can see Hop getting the upper hand, but she needs to turn those keys now. She looks around before realizing she’s wearing a belt. 

That’ll do it. 

Joyce wraps the end of her belt around the one key, and holds the other end in her hand. 

Hop would always tease her about her small figure; right now she’s cursing it as she stretches to reach the other key, even with the extra length of the belt. 

She looks back at him to see him throw the Russian into the laser. 

Joyce breathes a sigh of relief until the laser’s forcefield expands, trapping Jim on the other side.

She wants to wait for him, to find a way to get him in here, with her, safely, but then he nods his head. 

Joyce freezes for a moment. 

She doesn’t want to.

She can’t.

They have a date at Enzo’s, 7 o’clock, because El wants to watch Miami Vice with her dad on Friday nights. 

Joyce’s heart pangs when she thinks of the kids. She knows they’re safe, but she knows that Jim would never forgive her if they don’t do this, they don’t end this once and for all for them. 

Jim has tears in his eyes, and she does too. 

She has to do this. 

Jim keeps nodding, cheeks ruddy and covered in tears, and he smiles. 

She knows he’s trying to let her know that it’s okay, that she can do it, that she needs to do it for their kids. 

Joyce hears the radio screech one more time, and she steels herself. 

She doesn’t think of Jim, she can’t, or she’ll lose her nerve.

She thinks of finding Will, lost and trapped by a monster no one could see.

She thinks of Eleven when they first met her, filthy and alone and strong despite the terror she’d seen, still willing to help them find her son. 

She thinks of finding out her son is possessed, and having to exorcise her twelve year old boy. 

Using all her strength, she turns the keys, and watches the world explode in front of her eyes. 

Joyce can’t breathe, and can only stand there, clutching her chest and sobbing. 

Maybe?

She makes her way out onto the catwalk. 

She looks down at the ash collecting below her feet, and any hope of Jim’s survival extinguishes 

completely. 

She hears footsteps behind her, and its Murray.

He asks where Jim went, because they need to go, but she can only sob harder. 

He gets it, and awkwardly places his hand on her shoulder.

She appreciates the comfort. 

They start to escape, and they get back to the storage room when bright lights are suddenly blinding her. 

“Hey, hey, hey, we’re Americans!” Murray yells, and after a bit of questioning until Sam shows up, they’re allowed to exit. 

Joyce stumbles out of the Russian lair to see the parking lot flooded with American soldiers and first responders, and takes a deep breath of fresh air. 

She’s gone numb, fear for her children overtaking her sorrow, and she wanders blindly through the crowd, looking for them. 

She finds Will first, and is relieved that he’s safe, even if he didn’t make it to Murray’s, and she cries into shoulders. 

He’s hugging her back tightly, happy she’s okay, and she finds air.

Over Will’s shoulder she spies the young girl searching for her father. 

El makes eye contact with Joyce. 

The woman wants to scream, she wants to take the young girl aside and hug her and tell her how much her father loved her, but all she can do is shake her head. 

El understands, and the girl lets out a heartbreaking wail before collapsing into Mike’s arms. 

The sky falls. 


End file.
